Hurricane Isaias, which strengthened overnight from a tropical storm, is headed for the Florida Panhandle. The National Hurricane Center expects Isaias to make landfall Friday afternoon, with wind speeds up to 74 miles-per-hour and dangerous flooding for some panhandle residents.
With Hurricane Isaias expected to hit Florida at a category 2 level, many local agencies, including Okaloosa County, enforced mandatory evacuations. This may sound scary to those in affected areas, but don’t worry — Okaloosa County offers plenty of resources to keep you and your family safe.
Who should evacuate?
Mandatory evacuations order residents to leave their homes and head to a safe area as soon as possible. Okaloosa County’s mandatory evacuations went into effect today at noon.
Residents in county-designated Flood Zone A or Flood Zone B must evacuate. Find your zoning using the Okaloosa County Evacuation Zone Search map.
Anyone living on base at Hurlburt Field is also ordered to evacuate. According to a 1st Special Operations Wing Public Affairs press release, rising water levels “would interrupt essential wastewater, sewage and potable water services” for on-base housing.
Eglin Air Force Base installation commander Colonel Chris Kelley issued a limited evacuation order. As of 12:30 p.m., the order requires off-base service members to comply with local evacuation orders and leave if they’re in Okaloosa County zones A or B, or in Walton and Escambia County’s affected zones.
Military personnel at Hurlburt and Eglin required to evacuate will be reimbursed for all costs spent on travel and lodging.
Where should you go?
Okaloosa County’s Emergency Operations Center will open two evacuation centers free for evacuees at 6 p.m. on Thursday, and may open more if needed. These shelters are “outside hurricane surge zones and, further away from the higher winds, and generally sturdy construction,” according to emergency management.
All bridge tolls have been temporarily lifted to allow for smoother evacuations. If you do not have transportation available to the shelters, call EC Rider at (850) 833-9168.
Davidson Middle School
- 6261 Old Bethel Rd, Crestview, FL 32536
- Open to the general public and special needs individuals, but special needs individuals must register beforehand.
- Pets are allowed, but will be kept in a separate area onsite. Owners can’t visit their pets due to safety concerns.
- Exotic pets are not allowed.
Raider Arena at Northwest Florida State College
- 100 E College Blvd, Niceville, FL 32578
What should you bring?
The EOC recommends evacuees bring the following items to emergency shelters or their preferred evacuation location:
- Clothes and rain gear
- Toiletries
- Sleeping bag
- Identification
- Prescriptions
- Entertainment/electronic devices and chargers
- Special dietary needs
- Insurance card
If you’re bringing a pet to the Davidson Middle School shelter, don’t forget to bring them in a carrier, with food to last them through the hurricane.
Those with special needs should bring a caregiver, as well as enough medical supplies to last up to a week.
Weapons and illegal drugs are prohibited from both shelters.
General safety tips
The EOC recommends evacuees
- Pre-plan their evacuation routes
- Leave their homes early to avoid hurricane traffic and prevent being caught on the road during Hurricane Isaias’ dangerous winds and flooding
- Do not drive on flooded roadways
- Fill your vehicle’s fuel tank before evacuation
- Do not leave electric vehicles in flood-prone garages or plugged into chargers, and park them at least 50 feet away from structures
- Prepare your home by covering windows and doors, and securing any loose items outside that could blow away
- Fill clean containers and tubs with water in advance
- Take photos of your home for insurance purposes
More resources
Hurricane recovery
Florida Power and Light set up a staging area at the Okaloosa County Fairgrounds with tree trimmers, bucket trucks and electricians to assist those affected by storm damage. This staging area allows electric teams to reach residents as quickly as possible. Report power outages and request help at FPL.com.
Receive sandbags
Okaloosa County hands out sandbags so residents can weigh down their items and structures. They offer sandbags at two locations:
- 714 Essex Rd in Fort Walton Beach
- 1759 South Ferdon Blvd in Crestview
According to the Okaloosa County BCC’s Facebook, both locations are almost exhausted of sandbags as of Thursday afternoon, but will be replenished, so the county encourages residents to only take what they need.
Live updates
Mid Bay News will continue to update our site with live updates and resources as often as possible throughout Hurricane Isaias.
